Water-gage



D. BEST.

WATER GAGE.

(No Modell.)

Patentpd Aug. 3, 1897;

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.

DANIEL BEST, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

WATER-GAG E.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 587,297, dated August 3, 1897'.

Application filed .Tuly 27, 1896.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, DANIEL BEST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Water- Gages; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others to make and. use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention has for its object, primarily, a positive cut-off to the escape of steam and water incident to the breakage of the sighttube in water-gages to steam boilers; secondly, the automatic closure of a normally open valve controlled by the sight-tube. A

My invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, such as will be first fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a portable upright steam-boiler, showing the improved water-gage connected there.

with, a portion of the side of the boiler being broken away, showing the corresponding height of water in the boiler and the sighttube.` Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the improved water-gage, showing a broken portion of the side of the boiler, to which the `improved water-gage is attached, and the position of the respective parts upon the breakage of the sight-tube.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in lboth iigures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents an upright cylindrical boiler for generating steam, which is constructed in the ordinary manner with a furnace and lire-box in the base.

B is the door to the furnace, and C is the door to the fire-box.

D is the steam-pressure meter, near the dome of the boiler.

d CZ d are try-cocks at high and low water lines and connected with the boiler.

E represents the improved self closing valvular water-gage, which is constructed as follows: The upper portion of the gage, which is connected directly with the boiler, consists of a horizontally-extended tube F, which is Screw-threaded externally at each end. To

Serial No. 600,641. (No model.)

l the inner end of the tube F is connected a short tube f, which is larger in diameter than the tube F, one end f of which is screwthreaded internally to receive said inner end of pipe F. The other `end f2 of the tubefis screw threaded externally. On the inner surface of the end portion f2 of tube f and a short distance inwardly from the said end is an annular flange or valve-seat f3, which is beveled or inclined inwardly, as at f4. l Within the end portion f2 of tube f is fitted a piston-Valve f5, the inner side of which is beveled so as to fit the valve-seat f4. Upon the outer end of the tube F is fitted an internal screw-threaded cap f 6 of the same diameter as tube f, in the end of which cap is an opening f7. Within tube F is a valve-rod f8, one end of which rod is connected with the valve f5 and the other end extends through the opening in the cap f6 and a short distance beyond vthe outer end of said cap for the proper operation of the valve, and upon said end is rigidly attached a disk fg, the outer side of which is convex.

Within the tube F and at a point a considerabl'e distance from the outer end of said tube is a centrally-perforated fixed plate f1", through which passes the rod f8, and which affords a bearing for said rod between the valve and the cap fg. Other bearing maybe provided at such points within the tube F as may be found necessary. The space between the inner side of the cap f6 and the bearing f 10 constitutes a stuffing-box and is filled with suitable packing.

tance from the end connected with tube f is an opening f1?, extending around which opening and secured rigidly to the outer surface of the tube is an upwardly-extended tubular extension fw, which is short in length and screw-threaded at the upper end'. Upon said upper end of extension f13 is fitted a tube closing internally-threaded cap fm. Directly beneath the opening j"13 in the tube F is an opening fw, around which and secured rigidly to the outer side of said tube is an externally-screw-threaded downwardly extended flange fw.

To the upper side portion of the tube F, close in position to the cap f6, is connected rigidly a post or standard G, which extends a In the upper side of the tube F a short dis- IOO short distance upwardly, and a portion of its upper end halved out at gin the longitudinal direction of the tube F, leaving a shoulder g below the upper end of the standard, which inclines rearwardly and downwardly in a curved line.

To the halved portion of the standard Gis pivotally attached a iat plate t', the forward end of which plate rests upon the upper portion of shoulder g'. To said forward end of plate t' is connected one end of a rod or arm I, which extends in a horizontal direction outwardly a distance corresponding to that of the disk ff on the rod f8, retracted in position, as seen in full lines in Fig. l, and is then bent at right angles and the other end of said rod extended to a position in contact with the convex surface of the diskf, and is then bent at its extreme end into the form of an eye 'i'.

The lower part of the water-gage, which is also connected directly with the boiler, consists of a horizontal tube F', which is constructed in precisely the same manner as described oi" the tube F, the position of the parts of tube F' being inverted. Said tube F' is provided with a short extended tube, a valverod and valve arranged and operating in precisely the same manner as the valve-rod f8 and valve f5 in the tube F.

Upon the tube F' is a standard G' and bent arm I', which is constructed and arranged in the same manner as described of the standard Gr and the arm I on the tube F. With the downward tubular extension fn of the tube F', which corresponds with the extension f13 of tube F, is connected an ordinary petcock fw.

On the threaded flange f16 ot the tube F is a thimble K7 which is considerably longer than the said flange. Upon the corresponding threaded flange on the tube F' is a threaded thimble K'. To the lower edge portion of the dangefw, within the thimble K, is fitted one end of a transparent sight-tube L, made of glass, the other end of which tube is inserted within the thimble K' and fitted endwise to the upwardly-extended tubular portion. Upon the tube L are separate loosely-tting rings m m To the eye i' on the arm I on tube F is connected one end of a coiled spring-band M, the other end of which band or spring is connected with the ring m', which is beneath the ring fm. To the eye on the arm I ot the tube F' is connected one end of a coiled spring M', the other end of which spring is-connected with the ring m on the sight-tube L.

In connecting the automatic gage with the boiler A a screw-threaded opening a is made in the side of the boiler at the proper point near the upper end of said boiler and the threaded end f2 of the tube f fitted in said opening. An opening a' is then made in the side of the boiler below the low-water line and the portion of tube F' corresponding to tube f inserted in said opening. The sighttube, to which the yielding connections with 'l the arms I I' are connected, is placed in position within the thimbles K K', thus drawing down the arms I I' in contact with convex surface lot the cap or disk f9 on the valve-rod f8 in tube F, which is thrust inward by pressure upon said rod, openin g valve f5 and also drawing upward the arm I on standard G on the tube F in contact with the disk upon the valverod in said tube and opening said valve.

-In the operation of my improved water-gage the water finds entrance through the passage in the tube F' and thence finds its level with the water in the boiler A, the steam inding an entrance through the tube F into the sighttube, the packing in the stuffing-box of both tubes F F' preventing escape of water or steam. Upon the breakage of the sight-tube L, which is of frequent occurren ce, particularly in railway-locomotives, the strain upon the sighttube being at the point nearly equidistant from the opposite ends, which is caused by the tension of the coiled-wire connections M M' on the rings mm', the rupture of the glass at said point immediately occurs, releasing the rings and also the downward and upward tension on the respective arms I I', and the valves f5, connected with the valve-rods in the respective tubes F F', are immediately forced into the valve-seats, the area of the valve being greater than the annular escapement. The arm I', which offers slight resistance to the pressure ofthe water upon the valve, being thrown into the position as seen in Fig. 2 in the second position and the arm I, under the pressure of the strain upon valve f5, throwing the disk f outwardly, and the arm I, which bears on the convex portion of the disk, is thrown into the position as seen in the second position in Fig. 2. It will thus be seen that the action of the valves is positive, and in the frequent bursting of the water-gage the danger from the escaping steam is prevented, and also the lowering of the water in the boiler below the gage, which may occur when the tires are banked beneath the boiler and the boiler without an attendant.

For the purpose of cleaning the sight-tube the cap fm is removed from the tubular extension f 13 of tube F and the valve f1 Opened by turning the handle fO. During this operation the spring connections M M' are released from the rings m m' and the valves f5 in the respective tubes f f' are closed, which enables the introduction of any well-known cleaning appliance to the sight-tube. I have shown the water-gage applied direct to the boiler A. I may, however, employ the usual water-column, to which the improved gage is attached in the ordinary manner, instead of the tube f on the end of the tube` F. I may form the valve-seat in the inner end of the tube F, which may be enlarged in proportion to the size of the piston-valve.

An ordinary link chain may be employed in place of the springs M M' should the steampressure require a less sensitive connection with the arms I I'.

TOO

IIO

The improved gage may be applied to any receiver for volatile or other liquids-such as ammonia-tanks, gasolene-ho1ders,and whereever a liquid-pressure is maintained.

Having fully described my invention, what I now claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-"- l. In a water-gage abody portion consisting of separate water-conducting tubes, each tube having an opening in the side thereof, and a sight-tube connected with the respective openings, a piston-valve and seat in one end of the respective water-conducting tubes and a cap at the other end, a valve-operating rod in each tube connected at one end with' said valves and extending through said cap at the other end, a standard upon the said water-conducting tube and a bent arm pivotally connected with said standard and contacting with the end of said Valve-operating rod, and adapted to retain the piston-valve in a normally open position, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a water-gage for steam-boilers a body portion comprising separate upper and lower horizontal water-tubes connected with the boiler, each tube having a perforate cap at one end and a piston-valve and valve-seat at the other end, a valve-operating rod in each tube connected with the piston-valve at one end, and having the other end extending through said cap and provided with an antifriction extremity, a standard upon the upper side of the upper tube and under side of the lower tube, an arm pivotally connected at one end with the respective standards, and the other end bent at an angle and having said bent end contacting with the antifriction end of said valve-operating rod, said upper and lower tubes having openings on the side opposite to each other, a sight-valve connected at each end with said openings in the respective tubes, and bands connected with the other end of the pivoted arms on each standard and also with the sight-tube, as and for the purpose described.

3. In a water-gage for steam-boilers, a body portion comprising separate upper and lower horizontal water-tubes connected with the boiler, each tube having a perforate cap at one end and a pistou-valve and valve-seat at the other end, a valve-operating rod in each tube connected with the piston-valve at one end, and having the other end extending through said cap and provided with an antifriction extremity, a standard upon `the upper side of the upper tube and under side of the lower tube, an arm pivotally connected at one end with the respective standards, and the other end bent at an angle and having said bent end contacting with the antifriction end of said valve-operating rod, said upper and lower tubes having an opening on the side opposite to each other, asight-tube connected at each end with said openings in the respective tubes and separate springs, each spring having one end connected with the bent end of each pivoted arm on said standards, and the other end connected with the sight-tube, as and for the purpose described.

4. In a water-gage for steam-boilers the combination with said boiler and the sighttube of a connecting-tube to the boiler, a piston-valve and seat at one end of said tube and aperforated cap at the other end, a valve-rod within said tube, having one end connected with said valve and the other end extending through said cap, a standard on said tube and a self-releasing rod-holder connected with the standard and also with the sight-tube, as and for' the purpose described.

DANIEL BEST.

Witnesses:

H. R. ToMLINsoN, A. L. GREER. 

